The Current Music Blog: August 21, 2006 Archive

Oh, Canada: Special Narcissism Edition

Posted at 9:19 AM on August 21, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

That Gary Louris sure gets around. The Jayhawk's braintrust and frontman is presently fielding compliments for the latest Golden Smog album. We note that they seem to love him up in Canada (and us: "Ah, the sound of Minneapolis. Is anything sweeter?"). It's not just the Smog disk, the Dixie Chicks collaborations, or the Jayhawk's jitterbug, though. Louris also makes an appearance on the new, live double album from the Sadies, the Canadian alt-hillbilly group known for its wide-ranging collaborations. It's enough to bring a Canadian audiophile to tears. Or at least a nice stream of mixed metaphors starring Neko Case:

"Hearing Case and Louris swimming in the same pool is freaking wonderful as they work through the Jayhawks' mournful Tailspin with Larry Good on banjo. Once again, wish I was there."

We wish we were there, too. And we have no idea where there was.

Welcoming 'Mat

Posted at 2:22 PM on August 21, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson have reunited again—in a way. No, Paul is not taking over for Slash in Guns N Roses. He scored the soundtrack for the upcoming animated film "Open Season," for which he wrote ten songs. On two of those, he collaborated with co-former-Replacement Tommy Stinson. According to Pitchfork magazine, the movie can be summarized thisaway:

A grizzly bear, Boog (voice of Martin Lawrence), makes friends with a mule-deer, Elliot (Ashton Kutcher).

That doesn’t exactly sound like "Wuthering Heights," but it does sound like an apt metaphor for the putative 'Mats reunion. So but wait. Where's Chris Mars?

Seven Days of the Jurassic Five!

Posted at 3:16 PM on August 21, 2006 by Hans Eisenbeis

If you're a Jurassic 5 fan--and we know you are--then you already know it's a big week for the J5. Beginning tonight, they'll be guests all week on MTVU's "Hot Seat." On Thursday morning, you can hear them live on the legendary LA radio station KROQ. (We still think the "Rodney on the ROQ" punk compilations of the 80s rank among the greatest unknown recordings of the era.) Through the magic of modern media, they'll somehow be on FUSE TV tonight as well, and they'll finish the week next Sunday with a free live concert in Venice Beach, to benefit Heal the Bay.

With a schedule like that, perhaps they need to clone themselves and change their name to the Jurassic 10 or 20.